


chrysanthemums

by paraduckbell



Category: Swan Crossing Project, The Swan Crossing Project
Genre: Blood Loss, Blood and Injury, Character Death, Death, Fae & Fairies, Fae Magic, Gen, I Am Not Liable For Any Damages To The Soul, I'm Sorry, Injury, M/M, Magpie Quill, Major Character Injury, Spoilers, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, What Have I Done
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:13:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25160677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paraduckbell/pseuds/paraduckbell
Summary: bryan and vio don't switch in the battle with scarlet. scarlet is still defeated eventually. vio separates from the group to go back to bryan and loses his mind when he realizes his chances of surviving are practically none.
Relationships: Alexander Chase/Bryan Herring, Bryan Herring/Alexander Chase
Comments: 1
Kudos: 18





	chrysanthemums

for a fracture of a moment, all that could be heard were waves, crashing against the glistening sand of the shores, and lights of the city in the far distance, blinking softly in the cold night sky.

our magician bleeding out on the unforgiving ground, wearing a suit now stained in red. a boy sitting beside him, laying his head on his chest. his hands stained with blood as he clutched onto his arms and he sobbed, sobbed until his little purple eyes were sore and his heart, his heart aching.

"it's okay." the former magician said, his words coming slow and ragged. "i'm okay."

"no you're not. you're not. stop that. stop lying."

"hey. it's okay. go... go back to the others, your friends, your sister. get them back home. they need you."

"no, shut up, i need you. bryan. i need you. you- you can't..."

he choked up with tears. his grip on his arm grew tighter and his shaky breath comes in low purple smoke. parts of skin started peeling from his face, wilting. and bryan, past the world of pain he's going through, could feel the ground shake.

the lights in the city flickered wildly. the sand started parting and the ocean water quickly came streaming onto the coasts, the cold wind of midnight started swirling strongly around them without restraint and leaves hurled through the air, and the deep, purple eyes hovering over him, filled with tears, shone violently.

then suddenly, everything came to a halt.

the lights stopped flickering. the ground stopped shaking. the water was still in the cold air and even the grass, the grass stood on its edges. he couldn't feel any wind.

time had come to a stop.

"vio..." he said, a low whisper.

however, the boy, the boy wearing a purple satin suit, the young boy, whatever his age is, he didn't want to hear it.

he was desperately clinging onto his body, hands on his flimsy blood-soaked jacket, squeezing his eyes shut and his body shaking, brows furrowed, hoping that maybe he could hold him together, maybe, with his powers, long enough so he'd survive.

"i can fix you, i can bring you back. stop your suffering. stop the bleeding. i can do more. i can-"

"vio-"

"i'm sorry. i'm sorry. i'm so sorry i did this to you, you didn't deserve any of this-"

"hey-"

he grunted. after several long, uncomfortable minutes of struggling and coughing, his eyes glowing, skin wilting, and pushing himself until his body weakened. vio's head lowered onto the magician's chest, sobbing. defeated.

"you can't die." he muttered, almost a whisper through the sobbing mess that he is.

he knows that he can't stop his pain. he can't save him. he wishes that he could just stay like this, with him, forever. but that'd be unfair to him. to his sister. to the others. but he just can't bear losing someone else.

he doesn't want to lose him again.

but he has to let go at some point.

he knows.

as for bryan, his mind was blank as he stared pitifully at the boy sobbing into his chest, arms wrapped around his body. all he could hear were his silent whimpers.

but he's okay with that. in his final moments, all that he could ask for was someone to accompany him. at least he still has vio. at least he still has vio.

though it feels like every bone in his body is shattered, though the blood spilling from his body starts becoming far too real, far too quick, he still lifts his arm regardless to gently rest his hand on the boy's dark, scruffy hair.

"hey. hey. it's okay. where's that smile you always loved to show me?"

"how... how could I smile at a time like this? you're- you're gonna die- why would I smile about that-"

bryan laid his hand on his cheek, and vio gazed at him, his eyes tired from crying. it was a struggle to breathe, but he managed to form three slow words.

"please... for me?"

vio's eyes were wide.

he looked down at bryan's bleeding chest, his skin vast with cold bruises. 

he closed his eyes shut and swallowed, and after a moment, through all the pain, he opened his eyes and he managed a small, wavering smile.

in truth, it hurt him more than he's able to know, more than he's able to describe to see bryan like this. but he tried hard not to let it show, for his sake.

"hey, bryan, look, I'm smiling now, see?" he said, tears streaming from his eyes.

bryan beamed at him, and he started getting misty eyed as well. as he stared at his face, he started to sob, and soon his smile faltered and faded.

"...thank you."

after what felt like an eternity, he closes his eyes.

and then, he could feel the wind again. he could hear the low stream of the ocean again and the city lights blinking in the night sky. he could feel a sense of peace, though he knows, he knows he doesn't have much time left.

"hey, vio."

vio turned to him desperately, his smile completely warped.

"yes? yes, what is it?"

bryan looked at him for a moment, smiling. he could feel his body getting weaker by the second. and then he opened his mouth, to mutter what were his final words.

"it's gonna be okay. it's not your fault."

for a fracture of a moment, all that could be heard were waves, crashing against the glistening sand of the shores, and lights of the city in the far distance, blinking softly in the cold night sky.

a heartbeat.

and then, there was nothing.


End file.
